The Idaho Suicide Prevention Coalition (ISPC) was conceived by several community members back in 2015 to assist the, then, Idaho Suicide Hotline in sustainable funding through the legislature. The Hotline at that time was funded by Federal block grants that were not guaranteed, and this put the Idaho Hotline in jeopardy. Several community stakeholders and legislators came together and changed the mission of Idaho Health & Welfare to include suicide prevention in its mission. As this process moved forward, there was a push to develop an office of suicide prevention in the state, much like most other states in the union. The Coalition packaged a funding request for the 2016 legislature to add nearly one million dollars in the annual Governor’s budget as a fixed line item. These funds would be used to set up a state program and allocate annual funding for the Hotline and the Department of Education for suicide prevention programming. While this request came mid-session, it was met with great skepticism that it would be funded through the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC), as a request of this size in a supplemental during session had never been accomplished. With significant help from champions in the Legislature and Health and Welfare germane committees, the supplemental was pushed through and passed unanimously in both the House and Senate.
Today, the Idaho Suicide Prevention Program (SPP) is going strong under the Department of Health and Welfare Division of Public Health. The Hotline is robust and now part of the National 988 Network, and the Department of Education continues to provide suicide prevention training across the state. SPP provides sub-grants from the annual funding appropriation to each of the seven Public Health Districts based on their unique needs for prevention efforts, training, and resources.
ISPC is an Idaho 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a special (h) designation for policy work. We are supported by community donations and many stakeholder organizations across the state to advance our objectives to support communities. We are proud to support funding for community events, education, other non-profit organizations, youth, and law enforcement agencies that benefit at-risk populations and improve our communities for positive mental and physical health outcomes.
